Chapter 233. Speak Kindly, and You Will Be Spoken To Kindly (3)
Caron moved without hesitation. The moment he finished his lunch, he headed straight for the Academy.
The Academy, too, had tightened security with strict inspections, but stopping Caron was simply beyond their means.
"Oh my! Mr. Caron! If you were planning to visit, you should have let us know in advance!" Octavio, the headmaster, cried out after rushing out to greet him personally.
"Am I causing trouble by dropping in like this?" Caron asked with a chuckle.
"Not at all!" Octavio said, beaming. "Who would dare complain when one of our Academy's most distinguished honorary graduates honors us with a visit?"
Caron tilted his head thoughtfully and said, "Come to think of it, your name sounds a lot like the president of the Imperial Times."
Octavio's face stiffened slightly before he cleared his throat and answered, "Ahem, well, that fellow is Octa. I am Octavio. Entirely different. Like the difference between Caron and... Caronne, if you will."
"Caronne?" Caron repeated, raising an eyebrow.
"Haha! That's my granddaughter's name," Octavio said proudly. "We welcomed her recently. I named her Caronne, hoping she would grow up to be like you. After all, you are a hero, Mr. Caron!"
Hearing that, Caron gave a sheepish grin and said, "If she turns out like me, you might have your hands full."
"It would still be a great honor for my family," Octavio declared. "Now, now, allow me to escort you personally. Ever since your last visit, many things have changed around here."
"Ah, I heard you were reelected. Congratulations," Caron said.
"All thanks to you and the Ducal Family of Leston. I'm ashamed I haven't expressed my gratitude sooner," Octavio said.
"No need for that. Ah, these here are reporters from the Imperial Times," Caron added, gesturing toward the group following him.
"Oh, is that so? Well, please, come in," Octavio said, leading Caron and the others through the gates.
Past the inspection point, the familiar sights of the Academy unfolded before them once more.
And not long after, a group of neatly uniformed students shouted their greetings at the top of their lungs.
"Welcome, Mr. Caron Leston!"
"Live virtuously! Live virtuously!"
They were members of a club Caron had founded himself, the rather ominously named Reformation Club.
"Huh?" Caron narrowed his eyes at the student standing at the front. His face seemed oddly familiar. He prompted, "You are...?"
The boy, looking as if he was about to burst from nervousness, stuttered, "Y-Yes, sir! My name is Engel Leroy! You showed me mercy before!"
"Ah, I remember now," Caron said, his face lighting up. "How have you been, Engel? The slap you got from me... Well, looks like you healed up quickly. Youth really is a blessing."
Engel was the boy who had once been caught bullying a commoner, and received a sharp slap across the face for his troubles.
Caron walked up to him and gave his shoulder a firm, approving pat, then asked, "You've been living straight, haven't you?"
"I'm doing my best, sir!" Engel bellowed with all the energy he could muster.
"Good. That's very good," Caron said, nodding in satisfaction.
Seeing this, Octavio spoke up proudly, "The Reformation Club now volunteers regularly in the capital's slums. Many are praising the Academy for raising students who serve others out of their own free will."
"Any troublemakers left in the Academy?" Caron asked, half-jokingly. "If there are, I wouldn't mind taking care of them while I'm here."
At that, Engel stepped forward and shouted again, voice ringing through the courtyard, "Our club has formed a disciplinary committee! We're working to reform any students who stray from the path!"
"Just keep it up," Caron said. "By the way, what about your parents? They don't have any objections?"
"Filial piety is one of the core principles of our club," Engel replied proudly.
Octavio chuckled and added, "Parents these days are thrilled. They keep praising us, saying it feels like real character education is finally happening. It's all thanks to you, Mr. Caron."
Octavio, as always, credited all the success to Caron.
Caron smiled, pleased. Watching the Academy, which had once been overflowing with troublemakers, rapidly transform under his influence filled him with an immense sense of pride.
With the more dangerous competitors now out of the way, claiming the title of the empire's most notorious troublemaker no longer seemed like such a distant dream.
"They say good things come to those who live virtuously. Keep working hard," Caron advised.
Engel, looking deeply moved, shouted, "Of course, sir!"
After exchanging greetings with the students of the Reformation Club, Octavio laughed and said, "The Academy has suspended all classes in honor of your visit."
"Was that really necessary?" Caron asked, raising an eyebrow.
"It's not every day our students get to hear your speeches. You have no idea how disappointed those who missed your last special lecture were," Octavio said.
Truthfully, that was one of the reasons Caron had come today. The Academy was the heart of his most fervent support base in the capital.
After toppling the lord of Reben, Caron had learned something critical. To lead a successful movement, you needed loyal followers. In Reben, the freed slaves from the labor camps had played that role.
"We've already set up a podium in the plaza," Octavio announced, laughing. "All ready to go! Haha!"
"Already?" Caron asked, a little surprised.
"We had help from the Magic Tower. Amplification spells are prepared too, so you only to show up," Octavio said.
Having secured his reappointment as headmaster with the Ducal Family of Leston's help, Octavio had clearly chosen his side. Indeed, the saying that those experienced in the game knew how to move fast was true. The speed and efficiency of his preparations were impressive.
Octavio looked at Caron with a bright smile and asked, "By the way, what will your speech be about today, Mr. Caron? I heard you would be speaking, but I wasn't notified what the topic was."
Caron put on a serious expression and said, "I plan to speak about the students... and the future of the empire."
"When you say the future... Do you mean..." Octavio said.
"Yes. The students need to know the reality of the empire. After all, they are the ones who will inherit it," Caron explained.
Criticizing the royal family and proclaiming the innocence of the Ducal Family of Leston in front of the very future of the empire would be a magnificent sight.
And frankly, Caron thought, it wasn't even agitation or manipulation. He would merely be exposing the truth about the corruption rotting within the Imperial Palace.
I'll use everything I can, he thought.
Caron's goal wasn't simply to expel the demonic influence from the court. Rather, he wanted a total, crushing defeat for the Revanchists, and anyone involved with them.
To achieve that, he needed to shatter public sentiment completely. He needed to ensure that those traitors could never again set foot in the empire, and could never again join hands with the Demon Kings.
He intended to utterly destroy the dark conspiracies writhing across the empire.
It had been over fifty years since the Malevolent Emperor's downfall. That was enough time for people's vigilance to fade. To the current generation, the Demon Kings were little more than dusty tales from history books.
"Let's go," Caron said, nodding as he took his first step forward.
It was the perfect opportunity to reawaken that forgotten vigilance.
"Oh, and the special guest you mentioned," Octavio added as they walked, "is already waiting at the plaza."
"Then we'd better hurry," Caron said.
They picked up their pace. It had only been five hours since Caron entered the capital, and already, there was a mountain of work waiting for him.
***
The identity of the special guest Caron had summoned was revealed at last.
"...You must remember," the man said, voice solemn. "You must not forget what happened in the past, nor the deep scars it left behind. If we fail to reflect on our past, we cannot move forward."
The speaker was none other than the master of the empire's Magic Tower, the one known as the world's wisest man: Cor Sententia.
Normally, Cor never even left the Tower. His rare appearance here had the reporters Caron had brought furiously pressing the shutters of their magic cameras.
This is a scoop.
The Ducal Family of Leston has allied with the Magic Tower!
If this continues...
...The royal family will be pushed back by force.
The presence of the Magic Tower's master wasn't something that could be brushed off as a mere show of camaraderie.
The reporters, always sensitive to shifts in power, understood the weight of the moment better than anyone.
"You people, well... Ha... Forget it. I'll just stop here," Cor said, rubbing his temples in frustration. "Caron Leston? Take it from here. I've said everything I needed to say."
Even if Cor's attitude was anything but cooperative, Caron didn't mind in the slightest.
With an air of exasperation, Cor waved a hand and stepped down from the podium. As he passed, he leaned in and whispered quietly into Caron's ear, "The doppelganger's face skin. You'll hand it over to us, right?"
"Of course," Caron replied smoothly. "Where else would I sell something like that if not to the Magic Tower?"
"From now on, we're openly tied to you people. Don't screw this up. Take care of those rat bastards hiding in the palace, too. Got it? You do have a plan, right?" Cor asked.
"Have you never heard the saying 'no plan is also a plan'?" Caron asked, smiling innocently.
"Who the hell said that nonsense?" Cor asked.
"I did," Caron answered without missing a beat.
With just a few words, Caron left the Master of the Magic Tower speechless. Leaving Cor behind in stunned silence, Caron stepped onto the podium.
The atmosphere was completely different from when he'd arrived for a guest lecture before. The plaza was packed wall-to-wall with students, and all of them were looking up at him with eyes full of adoration. It was enough to make him sigh.
"Caron Leston! Caron Leston! Caron Leston!"
"Waaaaaah!"
Led by the Reformation Club, the students chanted Caron's name at the top of their lungs.
Caron forced a smile and waved at them. This was exactly the kind of fame he needed to exploit to its fullest.
"The future of the empire is doomed," Guillotine sneered in his mind. "Look at them, worshipping a guy like you. The whole place is going down. It's inevitable."
Caron ignored the mocking voice with ease and began speaking with a smile.
"Dear students of the Academy," he called out, his voice ringing across the square. "I am Caron Leston. It is truly a pleasure to meet you all again. Seeing how bright and lively you look puts my mind at ease."
The moment Caron's voice echoed through the plaza...
"WAAAAAAAAH!"
"WAAAAAH!"
The entire square shook with the roar of cheers.
Caron endured the thunderous applause with a barely maintained smile. Raising one hand high, he signaled for silence, and the students immediately quieted down.
"The story I wish to share with you today is not so different from my last lecture," Caron said, his voice steady and charismatic. "Live righteously. It's a lesson not only for students like yourselves, but also for those who lead the empire."
Caron's silver tongue, which had already bewitched so many, now began to weave its spell once more.
Soon, he began recounting personal experiences.
"Today, I will tell you stories I have never shared with anyone before," Caron said. "Starting with the time I faced the Demon King of Slaughter, on my journey into the Southern Great Forest..."
They were tales of heroism, the kind young students couldn't help but idolize.
Caron spoke of his battle against the Demon King of Slaughter, and went on to describe his encounter with the Demon King of Sloth deep within the Eastern Great Forest.
The reaction was predictably explosive. After all, it wasn't hearsay. They were hearing the legendary feats straight from Caron himself.
Particularly when he spoke of clashing swords with fragments of the Demon King's power, some students reacted with near-religious fervor. It was no secret that a few of those fervent devotees were members of the Reformation Club.
"The Demon Kings have always coveted this continent," Caron said, his voice growing heavier. "Even now, they extend their wicked claws across the land, and not even the empire is free from their grasp."
Having set the mood, Caron moved swiftly to the heart of his speech.
"Since the very founding of our house, the Ducal Family of Leston has stood against the forces of evil without rest. Countless ancestors of mine gave their lives battling monsters, and even now, we stand guard over the North Sea," he continued.
He paused, lifting a glass of water from the podium and taking a deliberate sip. Then, clenching his fist tightly, he added, "Many of you may not know this, but fifty years ago, it was the same. My grandfather, Duke Halo, fought valiantly to defend the empire from the demons."
That day, when Halo dragged the Malevolent Emperor from his throne... It was that same day when Cain Latorre died.
Caron recalled it all vividly; the countless citizens of the capital the Malevolent Emperor had sacrificed, and the atrocities that had unfolded within the palace walls. The Malevolent Emperor had destroyed the fates of many.
If the royal family dared to repeat that history, Caron wouldn't hesitate to draw his sword.
So with a grave expression, he pressed on, "Whenever crisis has threatened the empire, the Ducal Family of Leston has never hesitated to fulfill its duty. I believe even you, gathered here today, know this well."
Once again, Caron tightened his fist, this time trembling slightly with emotion.
"Recently," he said, forcing himself to remain calm, "I have heard troubling rumors spreading about the Ducal Family of Leston."
He restrained his anger, pouring every ounce of strength into his voice as he declared, "Not once has our house demanded rewards for its sacrifices. As citizens of the empire, it is only natural that we rise to protect it. We have done only what duty requires—no more, no less. Such service does not seek recompense."
With those quiet, dignified words, he lifted the honor of his family even higher.
A few students gasped aloud.
It was a noble house that understood honor, a house that willingly took up arms to defend the empire. Such was the legacy the Ducal Family of Leston had carefully built over centuries. It was a legacy carved into history itself.
"The sword of our house has always been raised only against the enemies of the empire," Caron said, his voice steady. "This is the pride we have carried since the days of our founder, Rael Leston."
Caron's tongue worked tirelessly, his cadence weaving spell after spell.
"But lately," he continued, "I have heard that some dare to trample on that pride. That the Ducal Family of Leston is plotting rebellion. That Duke Halo seeks to challenge the throne!"
Caron slammed a hand down on the podium, the sound sharp and cutting through the plaza like a blade.
"Such outrageous lies are used to stain the sacrifices we have made!" he shouted.
Flash! Flash!
The magic cameras of the reporters exploded with blinding bursts of light.
"I, Caron Leston," Caron said, straightening his back, "wish to say this to you, the students of the Academy."
His gaze swept over the crowd.
"We dream only of an empire where you all may sleep peacefully at night. Nothing more. Nothing less," he concluded.
Clap! Clap! clap!
The students belonging to the Reformation Club, the ones Caron had planted among the audience, began to clap fervently.
It was a so-called wind-stirring operation. The applause that had started with a handful quickly grew into thunderous waves.
"Leston! Leston!"
The Academy's plaza seemed to overflow with zealots devoted to the Ducal Family of Leston. Even the assistants, professors, and scholars had joined in, shouting the house's name at the top of their lungs.
The moment was ripe. This was the moment Caron had been waiting for.
He recalled something his father, Fayle, had once told him.
"Do you know what the most terrifying kind of lie in the world is? It's the kind that's hidden within the truth."
A masterful act of manipulation was just that: A lie buried in truth.
Until now, Caron had spoken only the truth.
"It pains me to bring this news before you," Caron said, his voice low and trembling. "But I must summon my courage to tell it."
Now, it was time to mix in the lie.
The enemy had slandered the Ducal Family of Leston as traitors, so now, Caron would repay that slander with interest.
"We have received information," Caron said, letting the weight of his words fall heavily over the plaza, "that the royal family is secretly kidnapping citizens to conduct vile rituals."
And with that, Caron set the capital ablaze. It was a fire that wouldn't be easily extinguished.
The counterattack of the Ducal Family of Leston had begun.